UEFA Women’s Euros Semi-finals Preview: England vs Italy and Germany vs Spain

Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images

There are only four teams left in the 2025 Euros: Italy, England, Germany, and Spain.

Over the next week, just one nation will emerge as the next European champion.

Italy upset Norway to reach their first semi-finals since 1997, then celebrated with team song “Unwritten”.

England looked close to defeat by Sweden, before scoring two last-minute goals and winning a dramatic, drawn out penalty shootout.

Germany sustained an early red card, but heroically managed to equalize against France with 10 and win

in penalties.

Spain easily beat Switzerland, and are still undefeated in the tournament. Germany will likely be their hardest opposition so far.

Which two teams will make the final in Basel on Sunday? Read on for a preview of the semi-final matches.

Italy vs England

Tuesday, July 22nd, 3pm ET

In Tuesday’s matchup, reigning champions England are the clear favorite, but Italy has momentum and everything to fight for.

The Lionesses have undeniable quality, with world-class players like Lauren James, Alessia Russo, and Hannah Hampton, plus a deep bench that includes young talents like Aggie Beever-Jones and Michelle Agyemang. However, they’ve fallen short of expectations with an early loss against France, then trailed Sweden for most of the quarterfinal game.

As regining champions, England has heavy expectations on their shoulders. They also have faced personal challenges during the tournament, with defender Jess Carter recieving racist abuse over social media and the team coming together to support her.

Italy, on the other hand, is an underdog who will have to fight against the odds to advance. If Italy’s tournament run continues, it could mean the continued growth for their team and for the country’s domestic women’s league, Serie A, which only became a fully professional league three years ago.

“It’s a great joy to be among the top four in Europe, and it is a happiness that we want to share because we know how important it is to bring home the results in Italy and especially for the new generations,” said captain Christine Girelli.

“Because obviously we do this for our glory, but there is a much deeper meaning, which we certainly want to bring, which is that in Italy women can play soccer too.”

35-year-old Girelli, a talented veteran striker, scored both goals in Italy’s quarterfinal win against Norway. She will have to be at her best on Tuesday for Italy to have a chance.

This match will show whether an outsider team can truly challenge one of Europe’s top six and win—a result that could point to the rise of women’s football standards overall.

Germany vs Spain

Wednesday, July 23rd, 3pm ET

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Germany will face the indomitable Spain on Wednesday, but they’ve already beat the odds once with their 10-player comeback win against France.

However, Germany’s biggest weakness in the semi-final match will be their lack of players, due to an unfortunate combination of injuries and cards. Giulia Gwinn sustained an injury in the team’s opening match, Kathrin Hendrich will be out due to a red card, Sarai Linder is confirmed to miss the game with an ankle injury, and star midfielder Sjoeke Nusken will be out on yellow card accumulation.

With so many injuries, Germany will be forced to come up with a new defensive plan and address the gaping holes in their lineup. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger will be a key player to protect the country against a Spanish team that loves to score goals.

Spain, on the other hand, has not wavered the entire tournament and indeed looks stronger than ever. Stars like Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, and Esther González are clinical goal scorers with massive technical ability that puts the country head and shoulders above other nations.

But Spain isn’t invincible—in fact, the last time they faced Germany, in last summer’s Olympic Bronze medal match, they lost. Giulia Gwinn scored a penalty, while Berger saved Putellas’s penalty for Germany to take home the third-place medal.

While Spain’s incredible depth and skill, combined with Germany’s unfortunate loss of players, Spain seem to be the favorites—but whatever happens, the next few days are sure to be filled with exciting football.